On his next step, Luke Devereux appeared, blocking their way.
“You son of a bitch!” Luke’s voice was full of mock surprise. His gaze swept over Shannon. “Where did you find this one?”
Jamie straightened his back, standing tall as he held Shannon tighter to his side. “Luke, meet Shannon. My date.”
Luke’s eyes flashed with amusement as he chuckled low in his throat, the sound rich with a wicked secret. A laugh that made Shannon inch backward, her instincts telling her something was off.
Jamie’s palm slid lower to the dip of her lower back, his thumb brushing along the waistband of her jeans, a silent reassurance that he was there.
“Are we going to play cards later?” Luke’s gaze flickered back to her before returning to Jamie, his eyes now sharp with a more calculated interest.
Jamie’s chest tightened, a protective urge rising within him. “Nah, mate. I’ll be outta here soon. Got business to take care of.”
“That’s a hell of a lot of business,” Luke mused. “I’d be happy for a three-way conference call.”
His smirk widened, and he folded his arms and winked at her, a gesture laced with something far more dangerous than friendlyflirtation.
Jamie’s stomach clenched, a shot of anger rushing through his veins. He inhaled a deep breath, shaking off the unexpected surge of aggression, and forced a laugh.
“Not this time, mate.”
Luke’s eyes gleamed as he extended his hand to Shannon. “Shame.”
The moment stretched out when Shannon hesitated, then she placed her hand in Luke’s. Jamie’s stomach twisted as he watched Luke lift her hand to his lips.
He hated Luke touching her, even if it was just a kiss on the knuckles.
Jealousy coiled in his chest, and he stepped forward, his body tensing. But he held himself back and nodded, trying to push through the tension.
“I’ll catch you later, Luke. We’ll get that card game arranged soon.”
“We will, my friend. You know me…always willing to party, and always happy to share.” He patted Jamie’s bicep, his smirk widening as if the gesture carried an unspoken challenge. “That’s the motto, right?”
That fucking motto—the one they came up with during a wild weekend in Vegas. It was stupid then, and it seemed even worse now.
A heavy hand landed on his shoulder from behind.
“Jamie, it’s about time you showed your ugly face. Lana said you were here somewhere.” Marcus slid him a beer. “Where did you go?”
“He’s been busy with other things.” Luke lit a joint, the smoke curling from his lips as he took a long drag,exhaled and offered Shannon a lazy grin, the joint dangling from his lips.
Jamie ignored the bait, keeping his focus on the conversation. He knew Luke was testing him, pushing boundaries the way they always did.
Fucking with each other was nothing new. It wasn’t rare for them to share a woman at the same time—hell, that was part of the game.
But tonight? Tonight, he wasn’t in the mood.
Luke’s eyes lingered on Shannon for a moment longer before he gave a casual, almost dismissive shrug. “I’ll catch up with you later, Jamie.”
Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
“Shannon, this is my older brother, Marcus.” Jamie’s voice held a teasing edge, dragging outolder.
Her face lit up, and Jamie caught the subtle shift in her expression, the way her smile lifted and her eyes sparkled. Of course she found him attractive. He was a McGrath, after all.
“Nice to meet you, Marcus.” She offered her hand, all polite charm beneath the glow of a chandelier.
Jamie’s gut clenched.
